Justin Bieber Might Convert Beliebers Into Believers
I never thought I would see the day where I would be defending Justin Bieber, but never say never! I'm not what you would call a "belieber," but I'm becoming a fan.
If you haven't noticed, the past couple of years Bieber has been out of the limelight. His reckless antics and immature lifestyle seems to be fading into the sunset. Some may call it maturity, but Bieber makes it clear what's at the heart of his change, Jesus.
This past Easter Bieber tweeted,
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"Jesus has changed my life. Easter is not about a bunny It's a reminder that my Jesus died on the cross for my sins and then rose from the dead defeating death! I believe this happened and it changes everything! I am set free from bondage and shame, I am a child of the most high God and he loves me exactly where I am, how I am, for who I am."
What's encouraging is the language he uses in his tweet. He didn't dance around the subject, leaving the door open for a possible universalistic message. He chose phrases like, "most high God" and "Jesus died on the cross for my sins," which indicates a sincere faith.
It's tempting to throw a blanket of doom over celebrities and condemn them as godless people.
However, one thing Christians forget is God purses the hearts of kings. We have this false belief that celebrities are out of reach of God's grace, but they are no further than the common man. There are undoubtedly different temptations presented to celebrities, but they're human, flesh and blood.
Justin Bieber notably attends Hillsong Church, and we find evidence of his maturing faith pop up in the media. On one occasion Bieber accidentally bumped into a reporter with his truck knocking the man to the ground. In the video, something astonishing happened. A man who was accompanying Bieber begins to pray over the victim, who is slow to get up. The man not only prays for the reporter but specifically in Jesus' name.
The people Bieber is deciding to surround himself with is encouraging. Articles on the incident reported he was leaving church. Proverbs emphasizes many times the importance of Godly friends.
"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."Proverbs 13:20
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
Most recently Bieber made headlines by canceling the remainder of his World Purpose Tour. Justin explained to his fans he needed to take personal time to become sustainable. He wrote on his Instagram,
"I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a voice in this world. I've learned the more you appreciate your calling the more you want to protect your calling. Me taking this time right now is me saying I want to be SUSTAINABLE..I want my career to be sustainable, but I also want my heart and soul to be sustainable."
In his time of searching, he popped into the spotlight a few times. Most recently a short video clip immerged of him singing worship songs at Coachella.
The question is, what does the future hold for Justin Bieber?
The Bible gives a clear indication of what will soon eclipse in Bieber's journey of faith. We can look at the passage in Matthew 13, the parable of the sower.
In the parable, Jesus explains four possible outcomes for those who hear the message of God. The first is those who hear and don't understand it. The devil quickly snatches the seed before it sets root.
Based on the evidence in Bieber's life he clearly understands God's message, so it's safe to assume he does not fall into this category.
The second outcome is those who hear the word of God and receive it with joy. However, when persecution comes the plant dies because it fell on rocky soil, not allowing it to take root.
The third outcome is those who hear the word of God and receive it. But the worries of this life and deceitfulness of wealth choke the plant out, making it unfruitful.
Lastly, is the good soil. The seed falls into the good soil and yields fruit.
With the advancement of technology, Justin Bieber has a unique opportunity to reach millions of people. He has a platform unparalleled to anyone who has set foot on the earth. With this responsibility, it is certain his faith will be tested. Let us hope and pray his heart is the good soil.
Imagine how awesome it would be to see Bieber submitting to the will of God. At his level of stardom his every word will be analyzed and analyzed again for meaning.
His new album does not have a set release date, and my guess is until then he'll stay under the radar. When his album is released, I believe we will get a glimpse of how far he's come in his faith. From that point, if he continues to profess the name of Jesus, he will be attacked.
Not too long ago, America's most loved couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines were attacked for their faith. Justin Bieber will be no different, especially because of his affiliation with the evangelical church.
Here are a few things we can pray for Justin Bieber.
One, his faith will continue to grow, and he will fall more in love with Christ.
Two, he will surround himself with wise console.
Three, he will escape the deceitfulness of the world and its desires. Pray he views scripture as the breath of God, and hides it in his heart.
Lastly, that his heart is the good soil and will bear much fruit.
Only time will tell the direction Bieber will take. We the Church should be the first to encourage his faith in Christ and rally behind him.
